UNITED NATIONS. UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS NORTH KOREA RESOLUTION

the UN General Assembly officially adopted a resolution criticizing human rights abuses in North Korea, with 88 votes for, 21 against and 60 abstentions. The plenary vote was the final step to formalizing the resolution approved in November by the assembly's third committee, which mainly dealt with human rights issues. This was the first time the General Assembly had passed a resolution on the matter following three in as many years in the UN Human Rights Commission. The resolution called for an end to torture, public executions, forced labor and the violation of rights of refugees repatriated to North Korea. It urged the Stalinist country to grant international human rights groups free access to the country to monitor whether the basic human rights and freedoms of North Korean citizens were respected. Although not legally binding, the resolution carried a significant symbolic meaning. It would also serve as evidence in any further discussions on North Korea in the UN Security Council.